13th generation of cadets take oath in the Croatian Defence Academy

The 13th generation of cadets took oaths of service in the Croatian Defence Academy on 19 September 2015, opening the new academic year of the undergraduate military study programmes. On that solemn occasion a memorial plaque was unveiled to the first Croatian President, Franjo Tuđman, […]

The 13th generation of cadets took oaths of service in the Croatian Defence Academy on 19 September 2015, opening the new academic year of the undergraduate military study programmes. On that solemn occasion a memorial plaque was unveiled to the first Croatian President, Franjo Tuđman, to whom the Academy has been rededicated to. The ceremony was attended by the cadets’ family members, Miroslav Tuđman – the Envoy of the President of the Republic of Croatia and the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović, the Minister of Science, Education and Sport Vedran Mornar, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovrić, the Commander of the Croatian Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Slavko Barić, Vice-rector of the University of Zagreb, Ivana Čuković-Bagić and a number of senior officials.Miroslav Tuđman, the Envoy of the President of the Republic of Croatia and the son of the late President extended her congratulations to the cadets:“ You have chosen to train to be the future officers of the Croatian Armed Forces – the honourable duty to serve your country, which ties you to its future and the many inherent challenges and risks and therefore takes thorough preparation“.

“You have been selected out of 1000 young candidates applying to contest for the Croatian Armed Forces cadets; it is now up to you to work and study hard to make successful careers and deal with the many challenges on that path. Having taken your oaths you have joined the victorious Croatian armed forces“, said Minister Kotromanović. The Minister of Science, Education and Sport, Vedran Mornar addressed the cadets and their parents and stressed the importance of knowledge as inalienable.

The Chief of the General Staff, General Drago Lovrić in his address said: “You have embarked on a career which I expect to be to the pride of Croatia. I would like to extend appreciation for the trust vested by your parents in the Croatian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence and the congratulations on the oath to the loyalty to your country taken today“. Welcoming the attendees to the Croatian Defence Academy, the Commander Lieutenant General Slavko Barić said „We are glad to see lined up in front of us 85 young people who have chosen to serve to the Republic of Croatia and its people expressed in the oath they have today taken commencing their careers. Lieutenant General Barić underlined the co-operation with the Universities of Zagreb and Split as a guarantee of the high academic standards followed by the cadets. „The Croatian Defence Academy and the Croatian Armed Forces need officers combining excellency, patriotism and respect for the values cherished in the Republic of Croatia.

Congratulating the cadets and welcoming the attendees on behalf of the Rector of the University of Zagreb, the Vice-rector for students and study programmes of the University of Zagreb, Ivana Čuković-Bagić said “The joint efforts by the University of Zagreb, the Croatian Defence Academy and the Croatian Armed Forces produced the new study programmes, which receive large numbers of applications and excellent students“. The oath was taken by 85 cadets of the 13th generation, of whom 73 cadets of the 2nd generation of the students of the military management and military engineering programmes, six military pilots candidate cadets and six cadets from the partner countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo).The ceremony was concluded by the unveiling of the memorial plaque to the first Croatian President, Franjo Tuđman. The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovrić stated on the occasion “The Croatian Defence Academy and the Croatian Armed Forces are today celebrating the Academy’s reception of the name of the President and the Supreme Commander in the Homeland War, Franjo Tuđman“. The Decision on the dedication in honour to the wartime President Tuđman was made by the Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović, upon the proposal by the General Staff and with the consent of the President of the Republic.